


Muse (Hizzie - Legacies)

by posiewosie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Bisexuality, F/F, Gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-15 15:56:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18076424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiewosie/pseuds/posiewosie
Summary: Maybe we stop looking for more out of life when nothing else presents itself.(smut will be present)(posie as well)





	1. Chapter 1

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Grinned my best friend and roommate, Penelope from the kitchen of our apartment, standing over a frying pan as she flipped some bacon onto one of three plates set out on the counter. 

“Who’s the third plate for?” I asked as I stood next to her to take one of the plates of eggs, bacon, sausage and waffles.

“Josie.” She shrugged, popping a blueberry in her mouth as she dropped them over the waffles. “I figured I’d thank her for getting you the job with her sister.” She grinned, moving to pick up the syrup from and dump it onto one of the plates. 

“You do know Josie’s a vegan, right?” I asked, an amused grin on my face as I sat at the island to eat. 

“You’re fucking kidding!” She scoffed, and I shook my head before taking a bite of the bacon in my mouth. She groaned and put down the syrup before grabbing a new plate and putting one of the spare, untouched waffles onto the plate. 

“Did you make those by hand or with the mix in the cupboard?” I inquired, and she looked over her shoulder at me. 

“The mix. Why?” She asked, her evergreen eyes narrowing at me. 

“It’s buttermilk. Not vegan.” I warned, and she groaned before storming to the fridge to look at everything in there. 

“All we have now is three cucumbers, an old onion and a lemon.” She complained, and I shrugged.

“We have vinegar too. Make her a cucumber salad.” I offered. 

“Whatever.” She grumbled. 

“Don’t worry, I’m working with Lizzie Saltzman today. We’ll have plenty of money for you to make your girlfriend a proper vegan meal.” I winked as she grabbed her plate and sat beside me to eat. 

“She’s not my girlfriend.” She reminded. 

“Yet.” I said knowingly, and she just shrugged down at her plate. 

“I still can’t believe I have to cover for you while you meet one of the hottest models in New York.” She complained. 

“She’s probably just like every other model in New York, Pen.” I rolled my eyes, and she scoffed. 

“She’s related to Josie. There’s no way she doesn’t give half her money away to charity.” 

… 

“You’re twenty minutes late.” Complained the tall blonde model as she stormed away from me, back to her makeup chair, making me walk after her. 

“What do you mean? It’s eight twenty, our appointment wasn’t until nine.” I scoffed, lugging my equipment on my shoulders, barely looking up at her, too worried about my shoelace being untied. 

“Exactly. I don’t like to be kept waiting, Miz Mikaelson and I expect for you to be here an hour earlier than I schedule for us.” She demanded, and I rolled my eyes before finally looking up, my throat going dry as I met with the blue-green eyes before me. 

“Y-yes ma’am.” I said simply, too distracted by the glow of her skin to worry about being offended that she refused to work in my studio, made me pay for this studio, AND got angry that I wasn’t an hour early to a studio across town from me at the busiest time of day in New York City. 

“Okay…” Lizzie trailed off before pointing to the white banner laid out for me to set up on. “Go set up!” She snapped, scaring me into action. 

I set everything up in ten minutes and, soon enough, she was modelling in front of me, a big, yellow gown flowing around her as she gave me unnatural poses, her eyes looking down at me from where I was crouched, holding my camera at as many angles as I could. 

She specifically told me not to order her how to pose, but I couldn’t help it, these weren’t working. They looked like every other picture of her I’d ever seen, and I was trying to stand out. 

“Could you turn around?” I asked over the music playing, and her entire demeanor changed, her arm falling from her hip, her smile falling into a scowl. 

“Excuse me?” She scoffed. 

“I asked you if you could turn around.” I repeated daringly, looking around to see everyone giving me cautious looks. 

“Didn’t I give you a specific instruction?” She bit sharply, and I rose a brow. 

“You did, bu-” 

“And didn’t I tell you that this was nonnegotiable?” She hissed, making me raise a brow. 

No matter how obscenely hot she was, she had no right to interrupt me. 

“Look,” I chuckled, “I know you know what you’re doing, but so do I.” I assured, “Whether you want to show everyone you’re the alpha or not, I’m the one holding the camera. I’m the one who can see you.” I stepped closer to her until I was looking at her from a foot away. “I’m the one who’s supposed to make you look like you aren’t insufferable, so I very strongly suggest that you listen to what someone else has to say for once.” I said calmly, and I watched her jaw clench. 

“Do you even know who I am?” She asked hushedly, and I scoffed. 

“I know exactly who you are, Lizzie Saltzman.” I assured, looking her up and down, “The question is whether you know who you are.” I countered, and I watched her body stiffen, her arms crossed her chest as she looked at anyone but me. 

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes before stepping back to turn around and look over her shoulder at me. 

“Lift your chin up.” I commanded, stepping back to get a few shots of her looking back at me. “Now,” I cleared my throat, taking a chair from the side and pulling it up to the shoot. “Sit here facing the camera. Straddle the back of the chair and lean on it.” I demanded, and she reluctantly did as I asked, her breath baited with distaste. “Turn your head to the right.” I hummed, biting my lip before I walked over and crouched down to look at her face. 

“What?” She spat, and I rolled my eyes before moving a strand of hair behind her ear, making her snarl soften for a moment. I smiled at her kindly, showing her I didn’t mean any harm before stepping back and taking a photo of the perfect angle. 

“Do you want to get changed into your other outfit?” I asked, and the scowl was back as she dismounted the chair and stormed into the other room. 

“Mad respect, man.” I heard someone from behind me and looked to see a tall, muscular man with light brown skin looking at me with a smile. “If you were anyone else, she woulda fired your ass so quick you woulda got whiplash.” He joked, and I chuckled, my eyes scrunching together as I looked at him more closely. 

“I know you…” I trailed knowingly and he put a hand out to shake. 

“Rafael Waithe.” He offered and I shook his hand. 

“The rapper!” I chuckled, “My best friend, MG loves your work, he won’t stop listening.” 

“Hey, glad to meet a fan.” He chuckled, biting his lip. 

Oh. I already can’t stand him.

“Yeah, I’m not a fan.” I corrected, “Anyway, what are you doing on the photo set for Lizzie Saltzman?”

“I’m just waiting to take her to lunch.” He said, shifting from foot to foot as he put his hands in his pants pockets. 

“What?” I chuckled, “Why, is she gonna be in your music video or something?” I chuckled, and he rose a brow at me. 

“Nah, she’s my girl.” He chuckled, taking me off guard. 

“Oh…” I trailed. 

What a waist of straight girl. 

“She’s headed back to the floor.” Spoke her hairstylist from about the room, fortunately for me, because I couldn’t get out of his face faster. 

She was now wearing an orange pantsuit with flare bottom legs, so I turned the chair around and sat in it to show her the way I wanted her posing. 

She rolled her eyes before sitting down herself, spreading her legs as far apart as possible and moving her hands on each knee. “Now, move one shoulder forward, and move your chin over it.” I asked as I kneeled down and got closer to take a single shot, standing up, “Now switch to the other shoulder.” I asked, taking another single picture after she complied. 

“You’re not gonna take a second picture in case it turns out blurry?” She asked with a sour attitude, to which I simply shrugged with the shake of my head. 

“Nope.” I said without a second’s thought. “Now, put your hands in your hair, and smile.” I asked of her, to which she complied. “Sweet. Now lick your top lip.” I asked, and she rolled her eyes with a scoff before doing as I asked. 

By the time I was finished, she was looking over my shoulder at my shots, unamused by every single one I took, until the first one on my instruction came up. 

“That one’s the best so far.” Spoke Rafael from the side. 

At least for an idiot, he has taste.

She side eyed him before looking at the photos as I flipped through them. 

“Stop.” She demanded, stopping at the orange pantsuit photo where her legs were spread, one shoulder forward as she looked over it at me. 

“Yo, that's kinda the best picture I've ever seen of you.” Rafael informed, to which she glared at him. He put his hands up in surrender before stepping back. 

“How much do I owe you?” She asled with a sigh, reaching into her bag to take a checkbook and a pen out. 

“That depends on how many prints you want.” I shrugged, to which she rose a brow. 

“I have lunch now and meetings after that. Can we meet up for lunch tomorrow to discuss the prints?” She requested as she wrote onto the check, which was peculiar. 

I've never had a model want to meet with me just for the prints. 

She handed me the check, and I tried to stop my eyes from visibly widening at the 4 zeros on the paper, following the 4. 

“O-okay.” I said, shocked as I slipped the check in my pocket to wrap my stuff up. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her brow quirked up a little before she walked back to get changed.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, Penelope, guess what!” I shouted excitedly as I stumbled through the door with my equipment, as well as three bags full of groceries. 

“What?” She shouted from her room, making me roll my eyes before dropping the bags on the counter and lugging my equipment from to her doorway. She was sitting in the computer chair by her desk, holding a guitar string from where she was sitting, a homemade guitar on the desk behind her. 

“Lizzie gave me forty thousand dollars, just for sticking around and taking photos.” I said enthusiastically, and she looked at me with a raised brow. 

“Seriously?” She scoffed, and I nodded, leaning against her door frame to take some weight from the equipment off of my shoulders. 

“Yeah, I just paid rent for the next six months, AND I had enough money to buy groceries on the way home. You wanna make Josie dinner? Cool, I bought vegan butter, almond milk and a bunch of vegetables.” I rambled, and Penelope put the guitar string down to walk out of the room, toward the kitchen. 

“I told you she was gonna be sweet.” She bragged, making me scoff. 

“Yeah, you were wrong. She tried to tell me not to tell her how to pose because she knew what she was doing.” I rolled my eyes with disdain, and she rose a brow. 

“And how did she take it when you inevitably outbitched her?” She asked knowingly as she unpacked the groceries, lining some of the food up by the stove while she put the other stuff away. 

“Surprisingly well.” I nodded, putting my things down and sitting at the island to talk with my best friend. “Her boyfriend even said my photos were the best he’d ever seen.” 

“Who’s her boyfriend?” She asked as she filled a pot up with noodles and put it on the stove to boil. 

“Rafael Waithe.” I divulged, causing her to turn and look at me with a perplexed look in her eye. 

“The rapper MG likes?” 

“Yep.” I scoffed, “He’s a waste of a pretty smile.” I rolled my eyes at the memory of him before sighing. “Anyway, she invited me to lunch tomorrow so we could talk about which prints she likes.” I divulged, and she rose a brow. 

“That’s not how it usually works…” She trailed off suspiciously. 

“I know, that’s what I was thinking. I’m hoping it’s a good thing though, maybe she’ll refer me to some other models or something.” 

“After that stunt you pulled today?” She jeered, “Not likely. She’s probably gonna put you in your place, make sure you know you’ll never work in this city again, some dramatic hollywood bullshit like that.” She pulled out a cutting board and a knife, setting a bag of green beans on the counter across from me, and I pulled it close to me so I could cut them while she prepared whatever else it was that she was ready to prepare. 

“What happened to your optimistic view of her from this morning?” I asked teasingly as I cut the stems off of the green beans and sorted out the bad ones. 

“It went out the window when I was wrong about her.” She shrugged as she pulled out another cutting board, another knife, and a bag of bell peppers. 

“You really aren’t big on second chances.” I said in recollection, and she shrugged. 

“I mean, I gave you a second chance after you ate my last bagel that one time.” 

“That was three years ago!” 

… 

“Hey, Josie.” I grinned as I opened the door to let the taller woman into the apartment. 

“Hey, how did today go?” She asked excitedly as she sat at the counter in the place Penelope had claimed as Josie’s, on the other side of Penelope’s usual spot so she could sit between us. 

“It was alright! Your sister was…” 

“You can be honest.” 

“A nightmare.” I said immediately, and she chuckled. 

“She just acts like that. She’s actually really great, I promise.” She assured, tugging on the locket around her neck that I gave her for her birthday last year. 

“Well, she must be if that’s coming from someone like you.” Penelope grinned as she set a plate in front of each of us before grabbing her own and sitting between us. 

Josie had really become a permanent fixture in our daily lives when she moved in down the hall almost two years ago. She was a struggling artist like we were, and when Penelope saw a cute girl lugging guitars and other music equipment down the hall, she had to help. 

She’s been a part of our little family ever since, coming over and having drinks with us every week and bringing us our favorite orders of coffee every week, after we drink until we get hangovers in the morning. 

Needless to say, Penelope was practically in love with Josie by now. 

“What do you think of Lizzie’s boyfriend?” Penelope asked Josie, who rolled her eyes.

“He’s the worst. He’s sleazy, and he thinks he knows what Lizzie wants, when he doesn’t even know her birthday.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait for her to break up with him.”

“Your poor, straight sister.” Penelope clicked in faux sadness, and Josie’s eyes flashed with something I didn’t recognize. 

“This is really good.” She commended as she took another bite of the noodles on her fork. 

“Thanks.” She grinned. 

“How’d you know I was a vegan?” She asked Penelope, whose eyes flashed with panic. 

“She was telling me how she noticed that you only have almond milk when we ask for some, and she’s never seen you eat any kind of meat.” I covered, and Josie grinned before taking another bite. 

Penelope’s body relaxed and she looked at me thankfully as I finished my plate. 

“I’m gonna go get ready for bed.” 

… 

The next morning was, to say the least, stressful. I slept through my alarm, so I didn’t have time to do anything with my hair before rushing out the door to the coffee shop I work at three blocks away. I couldn’t drive because 8am traffic in New York was always going to be too awful to drive in without leaving an hour earlier than you would otherwise. 

“Late night?” Asked MG as I rushed behind the counter to grab my apron from the hook on the wall. 

“Stressful day.” I complained as I wrapped the strings around my waist, MG walking behind me to secure it. I grinned as I turned around to face him. “You’re the best.” I exhaled before grabbing his shoulders and leaning up to kiss his cheek quickly. 

“Of course I am.” He bragged playfully, “So what happened yesterday that was so stressful?” He asked, leaning against the wall behind the counter as we awaited the entry of customers. 

“Remember how Josie said she was gonna talk to her sister about me working her photo shoot?” I inquired, and he nodded, awaiting me to get to the point, “Well, I did it. And she’s awful.” I rolled my eyes, “Nothing like Josie at all. In fact, they’re so different, I’m starting to wonder if Josie gave me the wrong phone number.” 

“Damn, that sucks.” He clicked his tongue, looking down at his shoe as he squeaked it against the tile. “Did she fire you?” He asked. 

“No, and that’s the weirdest part; she wants to do lunch and talk about my prints. I mean, maybe it’s not weird, Rafael Waithe said they were the best shots he’d ever seen of her, so how could she just fire me after something like that?”

“Wait, wait, pause, you met Rafael Waithe yesterday too!?” He exclaimed excitedly. 

“Yeah, but I’m sorry to say, he’s kinda sleazy.” I said, twisting my face with distaste. 

“All the cute boys are.” He rolled his eyes, making me chuckle. 

“What about you?” I rose a brow, and he did so back. 

“Oh, me?” He scoffed, “I am a man.” 

“Hey, man.” we were both startled by a voice coming from the front door. 

When you’ve worked in a coffee shop as long as I have, that bell becomes a part of our routine, and just another noise to ignore. 

“Landon, hi!” Squeaked MG as he turned to meet the green eyed boy. “The usual?” He asked as Landon sat down at the front counter and nodded. 

“Listen, uh… where were you this morning?” He asked the fumbling man beside me, making me raise a brow. “I rolled over and you were gone.” 

“Oh?” I asked teasingly as my friend turned away from me while he poured Landon his coffee. “Sounds like you were the one who had the late night, Milton!” I teased as he put the pot down and brought the coffee to set it on the counter, but before MG could take his hand away from the cup, Landon laid his hand over his. 

Awe, how fucking cute. 

I vaguely heard the bell over the front door ring, happy to get out of this strange third wheel situation I had going on. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” 

… 

I waited outside of the restaurant Lizzie asked to meet me at twenty minutes before we were due to meet, looking around for a tall blonde in sunglasses, so I had expected on a sunny day like today, likely the last day like this for a while, since it was nearing late September. Suddenly, a black SUV drove in front of me, the back door opening to reveal Lizzie looking up at me, clad in a black skirt and a red blazer, a white top beneath. She stood up and said nothing, only pointing for me to follow her before we rushed into the restaurant. 

“Reservations for Lizzie at one.” She said simply to the blading host in a suit, who nodded and grabbed menus before escorting us to a booth in the back of the well lit restaurant. “Did you bring the prints?” She asked as we sat down, and I hummed before reaching into my bag to show her the green folder. She flipped through them for a moment, the air between us completely silent as I gave her the time to go through my pieces by choosing what I wanted on the menu. 

I wasn’t sure if she’d be paying or not, but I learned something from MG: choose the cheapest thing on the menu when someone you’ve just met is paying. 

Penelope would definitely say something more along the lines of: eat as much as you can when someone else is paying, that way you don’t have to eat for a few days. 

“I’m throwing a birthday party for my best friend next weekend, and I’d like to know if you can come by and take some photos of her and everyone there having a good time.” She said simply as she closed the folder. 

“What?” I asked, blinking rapidly, not believing my ears. 

“You heard me.” She scoffed with the roll of her eyes. “As dumb as he is, Rafael was right. You’re the best photographer I’ve seen. If you do this, I may just hire you as my personal photographer.” She offered, making me raise a brow. 

“I-is that even a thing?” 

“It is now.” 

“Wait…” I blinked again to get my thoughts together. “Is this a job interview?” 

“You could call it that.” She shrugged, and I sat back, impressed with myself for getting here without even realizing it. In that moment, a waiter came by, and she ordered two of something, then asked me to order something to drink before sending him away. 

“Okay, so tell me when and where the party is. I’ll be there.” I assured. 

“I need you to dress formal. You will be surrounded by some of the richest, most famous people in Hollywood. Ever been to a dinner party or ball where you still have the dress?” She asked.

“I haven’t worn a dress since…” I trailed off, realizing my comfort had almost made me say something too personal to someone I didn’t know. “...since I was a kid.” I cleared my throat, and she rose a brow before shaking her head and reaching into her bag to pull out her wallet. She pulled out eight one hundred dollar bills. 

“Consider it your uniform fund.” She demanded, “You’ll have to wear it a lot, so don’t get anything too flashy.” She advised, obviously unaware of the fact that $800 is enough for me to buy four really really nice dresses. 

“O-okay…” I chuckled, taking the money and sticking it in my bag. 

“Well, this is an interview after all…” She trailed, “tell me where you went to school.” She demanded. 

“I went to NYU.” 

“Your major?” She asked as the waiter dropped off our drinks. 

“I double majored in art and music.” I informed. “What about you?” I asked, and she seemed taken aback by my suddenness. 

“Excuse me?” 

“I don’t spend much time on Google.” I shrugged, “I figured it’d be more of a bonding experience to get to know my best friend’s sister the old fashioned way.” I winked, and she rolled her eyes before answering. 

“I went to UCLA and majored in dance, minored in dramatic arts.” She relented. 

“So what made you become a model?” 

“I was looking for a job so I could support myself and I found a job as a bikini girl outside of Hollister.” She rolled her eyes before taking a drink of her iced tea. “I’ve been modeling ever since.” She finished before asking her next question. “Where did you grow up?” 

“I was born in New Orleans, but I moved here when I was twelve.” I admitted, and she rose a brow. 

“What happened there?” 

“Family stuff.” I shrugged, “I’m not even comfortable talking to myself about it, let alone a complete stranger.” I admitted, and she rose a brow. 

“Fair enough.” She admitted, “What made you want to become a photographer?” 

“Well, it’s more than just photography. I’m an artist, first and foremost. It’s just…” I sighed, “something about pointing out the beauty in things other people can’t see.” I couldn’t help by smile. “Creating things people never knew they needed to see. It’s honestly beautiful, and I love that I have the power to help people escape into a world of beauty and love.” I sighed. 

“It must be nice to see the world through your eyes.” She exhaled, and I shrugged. 

“It’s alright. Most nights it’s overwhelming. Everyone has their demons.” I justified. 

“Oh yeah, I understand that.” She sighed. 

“Tell me,” I began, “why are you and your sister so different?” I asked, “I mean, she’s timid, and kind, and warm, and so happy, and you’re-”

“A bitch?” She asked, her lips quirking up into a grin, flashing me her dimples. 

“I was gonna say fierce.” I corrected, my own smile on my face as she chuckled. 

“I’m the big sister.” She shrugged, “I’ve always had to be the one to protect Josie, especially with how naive she can be sometimes.” She sighed, “Don’t get me wrong, I love her with my entire heart, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, but…”

“But that’s exactly why you’re so fierce.” I finished, “You have to scare away all the people trying to take advantage of her.” She nodded at me with a sad smile. 

“It only ever gets worse in this industry.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” Asked Lizzie into the microphone as I entered the party with a pass Lizzie emailed me this morning. Everyone gathered around the front of the colossal ballroom to listen to Lizzie speak on behalf of her best friend, who was standing beside her on stage in a pair of black tights paired with a leather jacket and underneath, a white button up shirt that showed off the ample chest below it. She must’ve been six feet tall, even without the wedged Doc Martens boots (white, just to add enough contrast, likely). She had brown skin, considerably darker than Penelope, but lighter than MG. I thought maybe she was middle eastern, based on the tone of her skin and the shape of her nose and the width of her sharp jawline. She had bright green eyes and jet black hair that was shaved on the sides and the back, earrings hanging from her ears tastefully. 

She was… to say the least, transcendent. She transcends gender with the way she dresses, and she stands as though nothing in the world will ever knock her down. 

“I just wanted to thank you all for coming,” Lizzie smiled at everyone, her eyes meeting me, compelling me to take my first photo of the night. “Tonight is a very important night, not only for me, but for my best friend, Lucy Gonzalez!” She exclaimed, resulting in the cheers of people around the venue. Lucy looked around with a bright, single dimpled smile before waving at everyone around. “Five years ago today, Lucy celebrated her transition into the woman she always felt like, and today, we’re celebrating her birthday. So please, let Lucy make her rounds to see you, drink, dance, and remember; no cell phones please, as this is a private event.” She smiled at me directly, “My personal photographer, Hope, will be making her rounds to document your looks if you so choose to be seen. Now, some words from Lucy!” She grinned, hugging Lucy before handing her the microphone. 

“Thank you so much for celebrating this momentous occasion with me.” She said firstly through the mic, a thick Hispanic accent coming from her lips. “Especially Lizzie, Josie and my girlfriend, Davina…” She trailed off as Lizzie stepped down to stand with Josie and the girl I assumed to be Davina, since she clutched her chest when she met Lucy’s bright green eyes. 

I was cut from my trance between Davina and Lucy by someone’s hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Lizzie and Josie looking at me. 

“You look…” Lizzie trailed, unable to think of what to say as she looked me up and down in my blue ball gown, and I blushed before noting the purple gown she had on. 

“You too.” I returned, and she exhaled with a soft smile. 

“Hey,” Josie grinned from beside Lizzie, and I stepped in to hug my friend closely, her beautiful black strapless dress showing off her beautiful curves. “You look great!” She chuckled, and I grinned. 

“I think you should visit Penelope in that after this.” I suggested, “She would be really pissed if she found out she missed out on this.” I grinned, and she blushed. 

“I actually need you up here, if you don’t mind.” Lizzie requested, and I followed without objection to the stage as Lucy picked up a guitar sitting on a stand amongst other things for the live band to play once the announcements were made. Lucy said something about wanted to sing a song she wrote for the day. “Take as many pictures of Lucy and Davina from as many angles as you can.” She whispered in my ear, and I nodded before getting ready while Lucy put the guitar strap over her head. 

She began a beautiful plucking pattern, something that seemed natural, despite the absolutely nervous look in her eyes as she looked around and inhaled to begin singing. 

“I was a ghost ship, lost at sea  
Broken and abandoned   
When you found me   
And you became my captain

You fixed me up  
You restored me   
You showed me love  
And now I float free.” 

Her voice was beautiful, and the way her low, round voice rolled with the notes and the plucking of the soft, indie sounding song as she looked into the eyes of her girlfriend, Davina, who was looking at her with a look of pure love in her eyes. I made sure to take a photo of that as well. 

Lizzie and Josie walked behind Davina and shoved her up the steps of the stage, and I immediately moved in front of the stage rather than beside it to see Lucy singing to Davina as the shorter of the two simply grinned at her girlfriend, who began a different strumming pattern to begin a happy key change for the pre chorus.

“You gave me hope   
Like the air gives me life  
You brought me home   
You’re the light of my life!” 

The room was clapping to the rhythm of Lucy’s song as Lucy looked deep into Davina’s eyes and sang the sweetest, softest lyrics I’d ever heard. 

“Oh, babe, you steal the air from my lungs  
You knock me off my feet   
You give me all of your love,   
Bring me down to my knees

Babe, your touch, it makes me go crazy   
And baby, when you hold me  
My world turns, my mind gets hazy  
You know you set me free…” 

She stopped singing, catching everyone off guard, and I knew I had to take a photo then, just before she spun the guitar over her shoulder, which I caught. Then, she was on one knee, looking up at Davina as she pulled a box out of her jacket pocket. 

Click. 

She opened the box, and Davina gasped, letting out a sob when she saw a bright white diamond ring. I zoomed in on Davina’s crying face, then on the soft smile in Lucy’s eyes. 

“Will,” she sang, softer this time as she kept the rhyme from the last lyric, “you, please, please marry me?” She asked, and a teary eyed Davina nodded, allowing Lucy to slide the ring onto her finger before standing up to kiss her fiance, a photo I caught as a crowd of cheers and whistles came from all around in celebration of this great news. Davina covered Lucy’s face with kisses before they hugged tightly. 

They finally pulled away and Lucy leaned into the mic on the stand to speak. 

“Now we really have something to celebrate!” She shouted, making the crowd yell again, and I grinned before turning to take a photo of the crowd, filled with joy and absolute giddiness that their friend was engaged. 

A moment later, the band was walking on stage, and Lucy was handing the guitar on her neck to the lead guitarist when Lizzie came up to me again. 

“You helped her plan all this?” I asked in amazement, and she shrugged. 

“I actually suggested it.” She admitted, “She was gonna do some public rooftop proposal, but nobody loves Lucy’s singing more than Davina does.” She grinned excitedly, showing off that one killer dimple she had. 

“What does Lucy do?” I inquired, and she grinned. 

“Have you ever heard of the song writer and DJ, Harpenger?” She asked, and I rose a brow. 

“You’re telling me that Lucy is Harpenger?” I asked in disbelief, and Lizzie shrugged with a nod. “I thought Harpenger was a guy.” 

“Lucy’s career as Harpenger started before she came out as trans, and since people won’t dare tell the public who she actually is, she never had to come out as a man or a woman, or a trans woman, or a lesbian.” Lizzie chuckled. 

“Wait, so how does everyone here know who she is then?” I queried. 

“She plays in some Mexican soap operas too, so all of Latin America and Spain knows her as the first trans telenovela actress, but we all know her for the music she makes, because that’s what she has the most fun doing.” She sighed before looking over to Lucy and Davina who were on their way over to greet Lizzie. 

“I can’t believe you organized all this!” Gasped Davina to Lizzie, who giggled and reached up to hug both Lucy and Davina tightly. 

“Congratulations guys!” She hummed at the two, allowing them to thank her before Lucy looked down at me. 

“You must be Lizzie’s photographer.” She smiled kindly, and I nodded before holding a hand out to shake, something she reciprocated. 

“Yeah, I’m Hope. I love your music.” I admitted, and Lucy rose a brow at Lizzie for a moment before looking at me again. 

“Thanks. I hope I can see more of you with Lizzie… Hope.” She grinned to Lizzie, who shook her head. 

“It isn’t like that!” She squeaked to Lucy, who chuckled.

“Sure it isn’t.” She said suspiciously. 

“Hi, I’m Davina Claire.” Grinned the shorter woman as she leaned forward to shake my hand, sparking my interest when I recognized the name. 

“Your series for In the Lonely Hour was so good!” I gushed. 

“You’ve read it?” She asked in shock, and I scoffed. 

“Of course I have! My favorite part is when Dani goes through the internal conflict when she was in the woods, trying to determine whether she would go back for Paul or keep going to make sure Olivia and Luka were safe.” I inhaled for a moment before continuing, “It was heartbreaking, watching her choose between her brother, and her best friend and the love of her life.” 

“Th-that doesn’t even happen until the fourth book…” She trailed off in amazement, confusing me. 

“Yeah… but I think it was important for the readers to see how strong her bond was with all three characters, and what losing Harper was like before she met and fell in love with Olivia.” I justified, and Davina looked up at her fiance with a shy, blushy grin. I realized how embarrassing I must be in the moment and blushed myself. “Also, congratulations on the engagement.” I said bashfully, to which the two looked at each other knowingly. 

“I like her too.” Davina admitted to Lizzie, who rolled her eyes. 

In the last week, I’ve grown closer to Lizzie. She has invited me to lunch every day, and we went wine tasting on my day off on thursday, and she even gave me her real phone number, rather than the work number most celebrities give their temporary employees. 

Josie was right when she said Lizzie was great when you get to know her. 

Lizzie mostly spent the duration of the party with Josie and I while Lucy and Davina walked around to greet the people who showed up for Lucy. 

I was okay with it because it gave me a good chance to take good photos of Lizzie and Josie as they danced and laughed together. 

It didn’t even feel like a job, other than the time when other people would ask me to take photos of them. 

“Where’s your boyfriend?” I asked of Lizzie over the music, to which she just shrugged. 

“I broke up with him.” 

Thank God, he was a fucking trainwreck. 

“What? Why?” 

“I was talking to him about the party this afternoon, and he referred to Lucy as a really awful term, so I had to dump him.” She said simply. 

Of course a guy like him would be transphobic. 

“That’s no good.” I said generically, and she rose a brow. “What?” 

“C’mon, we both know you hated him.” She assured, and I shook my head in denial. 

“No, I didn’t hate him! I just…” I looked to the side for a moment with a grin, “can tell he’s the kinda guy who expects women to perform oral sex on him but refuses to reciprocate.” I said in a quieter tone with a shrug, and she snorted. 

“That’s exactly the kinda guy he is.” She confirmed, and I gave her a look of distaste. 

“That’s too bad…” I trailed off. 

“Why is that?” She asked, and I shrugged. 

“I mean, it must suck to be afraid of vaginas.” I assumed, “I think they’re great.” I said, clearly tipsy, considering the fact that I would’ve otherwise never said that out loud. 

“Wait…” She blinked for a moment, “are you gay?” She asked, and I scoffed. 

“Oh yeah.” I laughed, “I mean, I’m bi, but I’m a vagina conasuir.” I jested, and she giggled. 

“That’s interesting...” She trailed for a moment, looking off at nothing, and I couldn’t help but take a photo of her, the angle of her jawline shadowing onto the skin of her throat, which was ever exposed by the strapless dress she made look better than any other model. 

Yeah, I was definitely drunk. 

After what felt to be an eternity, the loud rock song turned into something soft and slow with a bass that rolled around my brain like a strong hug, ready to protect me and keep me safe. 

Something I would soon find I have in common with the bass. 

“I love this song!” Lizzie grinned, taking my hand and pulling me closer. She took one of my hands and used her other to take my waist, allowing me to reach around her neck with both hands, her other falling to my hips. 

“I don’t dance.” I laughed, “Especially not compared to you.” I warned, and she grinned. 

“It isn’t hard.” She assured with a grin, her dimples kissing the sides of her smile as she unhandled my waist to move my camera behind me before placing it again. 

“Easy for you to say.” I chuckled, “You know how.” 

“No,” she chuckled with the shake of her head, “there’s no such thing as knowing. It’s not something you know or think about,” she assured, pulling me every close until her chest was against mine, “dancing is something you feel.” She moved her hips and her feet, ever so slightly, her hand on my hips moving me in time with her. I looked down to make sure I wasn’t stepping on her toes, and Lizzie moved her hand to my chin, lifting it to meet her eyes again. 

I could drown in the depths of the ocean behind her eyes, honestly. 

“Don’t look.” She whispered, “Just look here,” she begged my eyes to hers and smiled with them before swaying to the sound of the music, the acoustic guitar plucking at my heartstrings. 

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked her in the eyes, watching her look between mine for a moment. 

“Tell me, why were you with that guy for so long?” I asked with distaste, and she sighed. 

“I have an image to uphold as America’s staple for femininity.” She explained, “part of that image is being with America’s staple fo-” 

“For douchebags filled with testosterone and axe body spray?” 

“Exactly!” She giggled, and I rolled my eyes. 

“So… who would you be with if you didn’t have an image to keep up?” I asked, and she chuckled.

“Someone worth my time.” She jested, “Someone who’s just as willing to risk what I am to be together.” 

“What would you risk to be with someone?” 

“If they’re good enough? I’d risk everything.” 

… 

“You didn’t have to drop us off.” Josie chuckled over her shoulder at her sister, who walked behind the two of us on our way from the elevator to our hall. 

“Or walk us to our apartments.” I added, and Lizzie waved it off. 

“Well, now Josie’s stuck with me for the rest of the night, because I gave my driver the rest of the weekend off.” She warned as I opened the door to my apartment with my key, only to be met with a pair of giddy green eyes. 

“How was the party?” She asked, looking over my shoulder at Lizzie with a neutral look in her eyes.

“Great! Lucy proposed to her girlfriend!” I laughed, and Penelope rose a brow. 

“Davina Claire, the author.”

“Oh! The one who was published at like sixteen and became like, royalty in the gay community!”

“That’s the one!” I gushed, and she punched me. 

“How could you meet her and not tell me right away, you asshole!” She growled, and I giggled before stepping aside. 

“On another note, Josie’s wearing a dress.” I changed the subject, and Penelope immediately passed by me to Josie, who was at her door, ready to unlock it. 

“Jojo, you look…” She trailed off before Josie even turned around. When she did, Penelope’s tone softened and her confidence faltered. “Stunning.” 

“Jojo?” Whispered Lizzie, and I shrugged. “Josie hates it when people call her Jojo.” She giggled, and I stepped in my doorway. 

“They’re probably gonna be awhile. Wanna come in?” I suggested, and she smiled before stepping inside with me, closing the door behind her. 

“So that’s Penelope then?” She asked, and I rose a brow. 

“Yeah… why?” I asked as I walked over to the refrigerator to gra two water bottles, handing one to Lizzie before walking over to the front room to sit down on the grey leather couch.

“Josie has the biggest crush on her.” Lizzie laughed. 

“Penelope too.” I sighed. “I haven’t had any kind of meat product since she found out Josie was vegan.” I jested, and Lizzie hummed. 

“We were raised vegan.” She divulged, and I rose a brow. 

“Really?” I asked in amusement, and I shrugged. 

“Yeah, our moms used to garden, and we grew our own fruits and vegetables. I didn’t go into the produce section of a grocery store for the first time until I was in college.” She shared, making me grin at how charming that fact was. 

“Moms?” I thought suddenly, and she nodded before taking a drink of the water I handed to her. 

“Yeah, my biological dad died in a car accident when my biological mom was pregnant with us. She met our other mom, Caroline when Josie and I were three.” She shrugged, “We’ve known her as mom ever since.” 

“Wait,” I breathed in disbelief, “we? As in you’re twins?” I asked, causing Lizzie to raise a brow. 

“It’s starting to sound like you don’t know anything about my sister.” She giggled, and I shrugged. 

“Penelope’s always had more in common with her than I have, so they’ve always spent more time together. I’m sure she knows all that stuff.” I waved off, taking a drink from my own water bottle.

“Okay, well now that you know all that about me, I want to know something in return.” She hummed.

“Okay, shoot.” I hummed. 

“Why is there a big empty space in your dining room?” She asked, gesturing with the water bottle to the space in question, making me giggle. 

“That’s where we’re gonna put the grand piano once we’ve saved enough money for it.” I divulged. 

“How much do you have saved up?” She asked, and I grinned. 

“Well, after the paycheck you gave me last week, we have nine hundred.” I said proudly, and she rose a perfectly sculpted brow at me. 

“You’ve lived here longer than Josie, and you never got a table because you’ve been saving up for a piano this whole time, but you don’t even have a thousand dollars saved up?” She laughed, and I shrugged. 

“It’s expensive, living in New York as a struggling artist when you work freelance.” I justified, “The coffee shop checks between the both of us were just barely enough for us to make rent, so we had to dip in a lot for food and power and stuff.” 

“Have you always had financial struggles? If you don’t mind my asking, of course.”

“No, actually, my dad was really rich when I was growing up, but all the money was from when he was a criminal, so when he died, it was all donated by my aunts and we lived off of the bare minimum for a long time.” I admitted, and she gave me a look of dissatisfaction. 

“Was he good to you, at least?” She asked, and I nodded. 

“He’s actually the reason I became an artist.” I divulged, “In our house, he used to have this huge study where he painted, and I used to sneak in and look at them when he was off doing something else.” I couldn’t help but smile at the memories I had as a little girl. “When he caught me, he gave me a paintbrush and some paints, told me that the world was mine to make.” I felt a tear falling from my eye as I remembered the look in his eyes when he looked at me, when he saw my interest, when we made our first painting together. 

“So you’re a painter first then…” She assumed, and I chuckled. 

“I mean, I was but…” I trailed off, “I lost momentum lately.” 

“Yeah I know what that’s like.” She sighed. “What got you into photography?” She followed, “I mean, I know why, but what introduced you to it?” 

“Well…” I sighed, “I was going through some of my dad’s old things when I was moving out to college, and I found an old camera. It wasn’t his, it was my mom’s.” I subconsciously touched the camera around my neck, the action catching her eyes. “I wanted to step into her mind, figure out what made it work, and I found out what made photography so riveting.” 

“You definitely have the talent for it.” She commended, and I grinned before tucking my feet under my body, leaning closer to Lizzie in the process. 

“Thanks.” I chuckled. “Do you ever think about starting your career in dance or acting anytime soon?” I inquired, and she chuckled. 

“All the time.” She said without a moment of thought. “I feel like I’m not doing enough as a model.” She admitted, “I don’t deserve to have all the money I have, just walking around and looking pretty.” 

“I always thought there was more to it than that.” I chuckled, and she shook her head with a shrug. 

“Nope. Not at all.” She laughed, “That’s why I don’t blame people for thinking I’m dumb or talentless. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to change their minds though.” She assured. 

“Show me.” I asked suddenly, and she rose a brow. 

“Show you what?”

“Your talent. Dance for me.” I demanded, and she chuckled. 

“Right here? Now?” She asked, and I nodded before pulling my phone from my hand bag and playing a song from my phone. 

“Dance for me.” I requested, and she shook her head with a chuckle. 

“Only if you dance with me.” 

“How can I see what you’re doing if I’m dancing with you?” I countered.

“You’ll be able to feel it.” She assured, and I sighed before putting my camera on the coffee table and getting up to dance with her. 

It was an incredibly fast paced song I really loved. It started off with a drum and a guitar, and there was no way two people could dance to this song the two people traditionally dance, but nonetheless, she took my waist, forcing me to wrap my arms around her neck again.

 

“I don’t want to die or fade away,  
I just wanna be someone  
I just wanna be someone

To dive, or disappear without a trace.   
I just wanna be someone  
Well doesn’t everyone?” 

“This is not the kinda song to slow dance to.” Lizzie giggled, and I returned with the shake of my head. 

“No, it isn’t.” I giggled. 

“You know what that means, right?” 

“What?” I asked, and a devilish smirk kissed her dimples. 

“Freestyle.” 

Just in time for the chorus to pick up, her feet began to stomp, her arms moving in the air as her hips swayed from side to side in her beautiful dress. She took my hands with the second key change and we jumped and danced together. 

“And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold  
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall  
I really need somebody to call my own  
I wanna be somebody to someone.”

She held my arms over my head and spun me back and forth with the next lyrics. 

“Someone to you,  
Someone to you,   
Someone to you…” 

For the first time in so long, I felt truly, really, genuinely happy. Filled with a joy I forgot I even had. 

It was… 

Insurmountable. 

Exhilarating. 

The end of the song neared, and the symbols crashed, the music decrescendoing to a close, ending in her arms around me again, her chest heaving against mine that was doing the same. She was looking down at me deeply, lips quirked into the most beautiful piece of art I’ve ever seen. 

I moved my hand from the back of her neck up and around her to her jaw until I was holding her cheek in my hand. I did the same with the other until I was cradling something so precious, so rare, so undeniably beautiful. 

She leaned in, and I saw her eyelids covering the oceans that dared pull me in, and before I knew it, I was letting out a breath I never knew I had, into the mouth of the girl in my arms. 

It was an uplifting kiss. 

Not just in my spirits. 

Her lips on mine made me fly to another world. 

Her touch made me intoxicated, high on something so pleasant that the only explanation for a feeling of something so incredibly thrilling to pass through my body. 

I felt my mouth move against hers, and my heart falter with every realization of the situation. 

I didn’t want to pull away. 

It almost felt like I didn’t have to. 

Like I could go on like this forever, her tongue caressing mine as she held me in her arms and embraced me the way I had never been embraced before. 

Never with such fire, such passion. 

I had to pull away. 

I had to breathe. 

“Wow…” Lizzie exhaled, tears in her eyes as she pulled away making my own eyes tear up. 

I really was that good, wasn’t I? 

“Hey, Hope, we’re gonna ge-” Penelope stopped when she saw us, and we both jumped away immediately, but it was too late, she saw. 

“Oh?” She rose a brow between us, causing Lizzie to groan. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, I just…” She exhaled for a moment, another giddy smile on her face. “I need a moment to take this in…” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, nodding as she opened her eyes. “Alright, I’m done.” She assured before leaning against the kitchen island. 

“Josie knows, you can talk to her about it.” Lizzie assured, and my head snapped to look at Lizzie with disbelief. 

“You’re gay!?” I whispered harshly. 

“You literally just got done making out with me, Hope.” She reminded, reminding me of just how drunk that kiss must’ve actually made me. 

“Anyway, Hope and I are gonna make you ladies breakfast in the late morning. We’ll come and wake you up when it’s done.” Penelope assured of Lizzie as she walked away from me before looking between us again, “I mean, unless you’re staying because if so, she’ll be the one waking you…” She trailed off, reading Lizzie’s incredibly bashful reaction. “Guess not… see you tomorrow morning then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song Lizzie and Hope danced to at the end is called Someone To You by BANNERS if you wanted to know.


	4. Chapter 4

“So…” Grinned Penelope around the raspberry in her mouth as she dropped some into the pancake she was making. “You and Lizzie, huh?” She asked slyly, to which I rolled my eyes from my place over the waffle iron. “How long has that been a thing?” 

“It wasn’t a thing.” I assured. 

“And now?” 

“Now it’s…” I trailed off as I pulled the waffle onto a plate and began to spread the vegan butter over the iron. “I don’t know, we kissed, and before we could talk about it, you came in.” 

“Josie said she thinks Lizzie really likes you.” Penelope admitted, and I felt my cheeks heat up. 

“Yeah? What makes you say that?” I asked, trying my best to sound nonchalant as I spoke.

“Apparently the other day she saw Lizzie looking down at her phone, contemplating a text message to you. She kept typing and then deleting, doing that thing you do when you like someone.” She explained playfully. 

“Wait… didn’t I see you doing that with Josie the other day?” I asked knowingly, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, we both know I like Josie. It isn’t news to anyone other than her.” She grumbled before popping a piece of banana in her mouth. 

“So tell me this;” I demanded once the waffle was cooking in the iron, leaning against the counter, “do you think she likes you back?” 

“Are you kidding?” She scoffed, “Of course I know she likes me, I mean, look at me.” She gestured to herself, a spatula in one hand. “I’m not that stupid stereotype in every book where neither of the protagonists know they’re madly in love with the other.” She rolled her eyes at the idea of somebody like that before flipping the fourth and final pancake onto the plate. 

“I wish I had your confidence.” I chuckled as I opened the griddle and dropped the last waffle onto the plate. 

“Yeah, well not everyone is as self aware as me.” 

“And clearly not as humble either.” I joked as I unplugged the waffle iron and put it away to set the plates up for everyone to sit down. Once everything was ready, Penelope ran over to grab the twins so we could sit down and eat. 

“Good morning!” I greeted of the girls as they walked into the house, Josie in her pajamas, Lizzie in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. 

I’d never seen her without an entire face of makeup and three hours of hairstyling, yet she was still one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. 

“You guys did all of this?” Josie asked, her eyes soft as she looked at the food we made. 

“Yeah, I found there are some benefits in eating vegan, so I made the switch from buttermilk to homemade.” Penelope grinned proudly, pulling Josie’s chair from the island so she could sit down. 

“You’re a real jack-of-all-trades, Mikaelson.” Lizzie giggled as she leaned against the island to look me in the eyes. 

“What do you mean?” I asked with a rose brow. 

“Well, you paint, you take photos, you can play the piano, AND you cook? What can you do?” She asked, and before I could say anything, Penelope spoke up. 

“Keep from letting EVERYONE know when she’s having an orgasm.” She rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her orange juice for effect. 

“I-” I didn’t know what to say, she caught me off guard to the point that I was speechless. “That isn’t true.” I informed Lizzie, who wore an amused expression. 

“Well, Hope, the walls are kinda thin and-” 

“Josie, not you too!” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands in embarrassment. 

“In her defense, I’ve never outwardly complained about it,” Penelope joked to Lizzie before winking, “If you know what I mean.” 

“I literally want to die!” 

Luckily for me, I didn’t have any work at the coffee shop, so I decided to show Lizzie all my prints, but because I took all my photos with a non-digital camera, we had to go get them developed in my dark room at my little studio down the street. 

“Should we talk about what happened last night?” Lizzie asked, clearing her throat as she looked down, her head covered by a black hood to hide herself from prying eyes. 

“If you want.” I shrugged. 

“Josie and my moms of course, are the only ones who know I’m gay.” She admitted before speaking up, “and I told Lucy and Davina a long time ago, but other than that, I can’t have people knowing, so please just…” 

“Keep it to myself.” I finished with a nod. “Got it.” 

“Now that that’s out of the way…” She exhaled shakily, “I just wanted to apologize. I was awful to you when we first met, and that’s no way to treat someone.” She kicked a can on the sidewalk to keep her attention divided, and I shrugged. 

“It’s okay, I understand why you were the way you were, and I don’t blame you.” 

Besides, all that built up sexual frustration must’ve really been too much when you’re dating someone who obviously doesn’t know how to carry a woman to orgasm. 

“Well, I still blame myself.” She assured, “It doesn’t make what I did any better.” There was a moment of silence between us, other than the can Lizzie was kicking before she bent down to pick it up when we were met with a recycling bin, where she disposed of the can. 

It was charming, to say the least.

Of course she was pretty, smart, unapologetic, and environmentally conscious. 

“I just want to know if I was crossing a line last night…” She required, “I mean, obviously, we were drunk, so there wasn’t any clear line to cross but I just wanted to make sure we’re okay, and that there are no hurt feelings… or that there are-” 

“Lizzie, you’re rambling.” I laughed as we crossed the street.

“Right, well… uh-” 

“Just ask me or tell me what you want to ask or tell me.” I urged, “I won’t judge you.” I assured, and she scratched the back of her neck.

“I know we only met like a week ago,” she exhaled nervously, an emotion I’ve never seen on her before. “but you’re pretty great, and I know you probably wouldn’t want to get involved with someone who’s still basically in the closet, but-” 

“Do you want me to go on a date with you?” I interrupted, and she closed her mouth before nodding bashfully, to which I giggled. “I’d like that.” I assured as we walked through the lobby of a studio building and through the elevator. “You can probably take the hood off.” I assured as the doors closed, and she pulled it down, revealing a big, giddy smile on her lips, her dimples never ceasing to melt me. 

I’ve always been a sucker for dimples. 

“So, what should I expect in this dark room of yours?” She asked of me. 

“Well,” I hummed as I pulled my keys out in time for the elevator doors to open and let us out, “it’s a one bedroom apartment that my aunts pay for as like a ‘we’re sorry we could’ve give you more’ pity gift.” I chuckled, leading her to the door, “So it doubles as my art studio and my dark room.” 

“Does that mean I get to see some of your pieces?” She hummed, and I shrugged. 

“I mean, nothing of what I’ve done recently is very good, but you’re welcome to look around.” I assured as we approached the door, allowing me to unlock it and open the door for her. 

She walked in and looked around at the tarp-covered apartment, the only uncovered wall in the living room area being the ceiling, canvases and paint supplies lying around everywhere, an obvious sign that I hadn’t been here in awhile. 

The last time I was here, I lost my shit and threw things everywhere because nothing was turning out the way I wanted it. 

It’s been like that a lot lately. She looked through a stack of my old things while I excused myself to go work on developing the photos from last night. 

It took a moment, and when developing, there isn’t much you can see until it’s completely done, so I spent about an hour in there developing the forty photos I took, most of which I noticed were of Lizzie. 

Maybe I was a little more enthralled with that woman than I had initially thought. 

I was in for a sight when I was finally finished and walked out of the room to Lizzie standing in the middle of the room, dancing around with her wireless headphones in her ears while she stomped from foot to foot, her hands and head moving in time to whatever beat she was listening to. 

She turned around, eyes closed as she smiled, her lips quirked up into a soft smile when they weren’t moving to the lyrics. 

I just sat and watched, crossing my arms over my chest in amusement as I awaited her to notice, which didn’t happen until she stepped on a paintbrush, slipping forward. 

I sprang into action and stepped forward to catch her, which I did, but my feet weren’t planted properly and I fell back, breaking her fall. 

She tore her headphones out of her ears when she noticed what just happened, panic in her beautiful blue eyes. 

“This isn’t what I saw when I pictured you on top of me.” I giggled jokingly, and her eyes widened. 

“Oh no, did you hit your head?!” She asked in concern to my blunt words, but I just laughed and shook my head. 

“I’m fine.” I laughed as she stood up and reached a hand out to help me up. She looked me over at once before bending down to grab her phone and airpods from the ground. “It looked like you were having fun before my fire hazard interrupted you.” I laughed, and she shrugged. 

“I don’t have much of that these days.” She admitted. 

“I guess money really doesn’t buy happiness, huh?” I chuckled, and she laughed. 

“I always thought that was something poor people said to their kids so they don’t feel shitty for being broke but it’s true.” She admitted, and I hummed. 

“Maybe we should try and have some fun.” I suggested, “Some real fun.” 

“Like what?” She inquired, to which I took a moment to think before coming up with something. 

“Come with me.” 

… 

“How do you know about this place?” Lizzie asked as she looked around at the dusty mirrors and scuffed up floor that was surrounded by walls of mirrors from the floor to the ceiling. 

“This was the place I learned how to play music when I moved in with my aunts.” I explained as I took a lighter from my pocket to light the candles I had originally set down, to show a better view of the previously dark room. 

“This was the community center?” She asked, and I shrugged. 

“More or less.” I admitted. “It closed down a little after I started taking classes at NYU.” 

“Why? What happened?” She asked as she looked around at the big, empty room, other than a busted old wall piano in the corner against the mirror. 

“They couldn’t afford the lease anymore, so it’s been abandoned ever since.” I shrugged as I walked to the piano and moved it from the wall until it faced the middle of the room, sitting on the rickety old grand piano stool and cracking my knuckles to get ready to play. 

“Wait, that means that this side of New York doesn’t have a community center anymore.” She said with distaste, and I shrugged. 

“Nobody really cares about the broke ones.” I reminded, “We always get the blunt end of the stick and nobody does anything to change it.” She harrumphed as she sat down beside me. 

“Play something for me.” She demanded, striking a soprano key once, twice, three times before putting it into her lap and awaiting my playing. 

“What makes you think I know how?” I teased. 

“You didn’t move it and sit down like that just to tease me.” She said knowingly, “And why would you spend thousands of dollars on a piano if you didn’t know how to play?” 

“Fair point.” I nodded with a chuckle, and she hummed. 

“So… play me something.” She required again.

“Like what?” I asked, and she shrugged. 

“Show off to me.” She grinned happily, to which I cleared my throat and waved my fingers over the keys playfully. 

Finally, I struck the first key, followed by the second, sending me into a frenzy of melody, kissing Lizzie’s ears as my fingers moved at their own pace, two separate brains moving them together as one before I began singing. 

“I hate people   
But I don’t hate you  
The world is full of evil  
But it’s something I can get through

With you by my side I’m strong  
Stronger than I’ve ever been  
With me, you can do no wrong  
You can never get under my skin.” 

The key changed and I dropped my toe on the rickety old pedal to hold the bass notes down, allowing my left hand to go higher for a key change. 

“For you, I’d stop the earth from spinning,  
For you, I’d blow out the fire that so you can shine brighter than the sun  
With you, I know I keep on winning,  
Because winning you is the most successful thing I’ve ever done.” 

I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I lifted my foot from the pedal and brought the song to a close. 

“I’ve never heard that song before.” Lizzie said, her voice soft as she turned to look at me. 

“Yeah, that’s because my dad wrote it.” I chuckled with a soft sniffle. 

“He was a musician too?” She asked softly. 

“Uh…” I giggled, “No, it was just a little lullaby he started singing for me when I was little and I couldn’t sleep.” I grinned as I toyed with a few of the keys, “I gave it a melody and an accompaniment after he passed.” 

“I like the way you channel your pain through your art.” She commended. 

“Yeah,” I laughed, “well, if I didn’t, I would go crazy.” 

“That’s understandable.” She hummed, and it was silent for a moment as we sat together, comfortable just being in the presence of each other before Lizzie spoke up again. “You’re so strong, you know that?” She asked, and I looked up with a perplexed brow. “You’ve been through so much, and still, you managed to get yourself into one of the best schools in New York, by yourself!” She laughed, to which I did the same. “You are one of the strongest women I’ve ever met.” She assured, moving my hair from my face so she could see the side of my face better. “Your dad would be proud of you.” 

That was it. 

It’s what got me. 

I turned to look her in the eyes, then down to her lips. 

I wanted to kiss her so badly that it hurt me. 

I felt myself leaning into her, and I watched her eyes fall to my lips, indicating that she was thinking something not different from what I was thinking. 

My lips were trembling at the rate of my fingers against the chipped ivory keys of the instruments when I felt her breath against my mouth. 

She must’ve noticed my trembling fingers, an indication of that being her hand covering mine, taking it into her lap before finally closing the gap between us in a soft kiss. She closed her lips around my bottom one, holding the hair at the nape of my neck with her unoccupied hand. I felt her chest falter against me as her tongue delved out from between her lips to probe mine open. My lips parted for her to roll over my tongue with hers, and I moved my leg so that I was straddling the bench to face her, my hands coming up to take her face between and move her closer to me. 

My body was buzzing, my throat tightening as I felt her breath grow heavy against me. 

I had to pull away to breathe, my forehead against hers, my thumb stroking her cheek bone when she giggled, her grip on my hair releasing slightly before she moved her hand around to my cheek as she looked me in the eyes. 

“You have beautiful eyes.” She whispered, to which I blushed.

“Stop that.” I giggled, looking down at my hands once I pulled away. 

“Stop what?” 

“That. Being all sweet and affirmative.” 

“Why?” She inquired, “Why can’t I compliment you?” 

“I…” I didn’t know why, I just didn’t like feeling like a blushing mess. 

I’m not a bottom, but I was exhibiting bottom behavior. 

“You’re good at everything, but when it comes to taking compliments, that’s not for you, huh?” She asked knowingly, and I shrugged. 

“It’s a lot easier to show love to others when you don’t have to show it to yourself.” I admitted, and she rose a brow. 

“There’s more to it than that though, Hope,” she reminded, “When you love someone, they should love you in return.” 

“I can’t expect other people to do that, I have a lot of baggage to love and some people just can’t handle that.” I countered, and she smiled softly, dropping her forehead against mine again. 

“Your baggage just means there’s more of you to love.”


End file.
